Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-23
THE NEW YORK WORLD.
Paper of surprises-Somethins About
Its Staff.
pecial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, April Is.
The New York World has always been q
paper Of extremes When it was started in
1860 it was so extremely religious that it re-
fused theatrical advertisements, and so *
remedy improbable that in one year it drove
Is first editor, Mr. Alexander Cummings,
| INTO the west, into politics and into terri
7orial governorship. During the war its ex-
rene opposition to the administration made
tsome money. Later, under the management
If Mr.. William Henry Hurlburt, it became SO
extremely literary that it reached about as
ow an ebb in circulation and influence as it
possible for a newspaper to attain and still
i've, and yet at the time, in the minds of the
'cholars of this country, it was regarded as
5he best written paper in New York.
When Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer came on from
St Louis, in 1888, and purchased it for S400, ;
100, there was practically nothing to buy but
5he Associated Press franchise.
There is something in the first twenty three
years Of the history Of The World which
points a moral for would be newspaper men.
1t proves that newspaper is the servant of
The public, and when the servant attempts to
out on airs of moral or intellectual superb
Jrity over its master it ceases to pay.
Under Mr. Pulitzer The World has at
tempted to attain the extreme Of enterprise.
It has advertised, it has boosted Of its circu-
alton, Of its advertising, and by dint Of per-
sistently footing its own horn it has sue
ceeded In becoming in many respects the
leading paper of the metropolis. There is nc
1oubt that to-day The World is a paying
piece Of newspaper property, but that it pays
the enormous profits which are claimed for it
few old newspaper men believe.
Col. John A. Cockerill is managing editor
It The World at a salary Of $4,000 year.
He is a thorough newspaper man, alert, per-
tinacious, an admirable executive editor and
a clear, forceful writer. He is one of the
most popular newspaper men in New York,
an officer of the Press club, and active in
every movement for the advancement of the
profession.
The World hes the largest staff of any
paper in New York city. Nearly 600 men
draw their pay at The World Office on Park
row, and it takes over s12, 900 weekly to cover
the pay roll. This is exclusive Of the CORE
spondents and occasional writers, who number
about 400.
The World is now practically three papers,
its Brooklyn and New Jersey editions each
having its managing and city editors and
local staff There is no doubt that it is Mr.
Pulitzer's ultimate intention to make three
distinct papers, and the establishment of
plant in Brooklyn is a step in this direction.
He also thinks Of following the example OF
several Of the Boston and Chicago papers and
The New York Sun in issuing an afternoon
edition.
There is but little gossip about the Office.
All sorts Of rumors concerning it float around
Park row, and are the more easily believed
because The World is always doing some
thing surprising. When Col Cockerill went
to Europe some time ago 1 was seriously in
formed by several old newspaper men that he
had gone to London to start an English coun-
terpart of The New York World. Wild as il
sounds, the rumor was seriously canvassed by
men who ought to have known better. But il
shows the feeling in regard to the paper. Va
can calculate pretty closely what most Of tn,
papers will do, but we are prepared to credit
a! bold or startling measure which may be
imputed to The World. If Mr.. Pulitzer should
buy the New York postoffice for his paper the
newspaper men would be no more surprised
at the evidence of his success than they wouH
be at his failure if it should stop publication
1t is paper of surprises, and we are getting
used to il. ALLAN FoRMAN.